Computing System with Content-Characteristic-Based Trigger Feature

ABSTRACT

In one aspect, an example method includes (i) receiving, by a computing system, media content; (ii) generating, by the computing system, a fingerprint of a portion of the received media content; (iii) determining, by the computing system, that the received media content has a predefined characteristic; (iv) responsive to determining that the received media content has the predefined characteristic, transmitting, by the computing system, the generated fingerprint to a content identification server to identify the portion of the received media content; and (v) performing an action based on the identified portion of media content.

RELATED DISCLOSURE

This disclosure claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 62/275,081, titled “Video Classifier,” filed on Jan. 5, 2016, whichis hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

USAGE AND TERMINOLOGY

In this disclosure, unless otherwise specified and/or unless theparticular context clearly dictates otherwise, the terms “a” or “an”mean at least one, and the term “the” means the at least one.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, an example method is disclosed. The method includes (i)receiving, by a computing system, media content; (ii) generating, by thecomputing system, a fingerprint of a portion of the received mediacontent; (iii) determining, by the computing system, that the receivedmedia content has a predefined characteristic; (iv) responsive todetermining that the received media content has the predefinedcharacteristic, transmitting, by the computing system, the generatedfingerprint to a content identification server to identify the portionof the received media content; and (v) performing an action based on theidentified portion of media content.

In another aspect, an example non-transitory computer-readable medium isdisclosed. The computer-readable medium has stored thereon programinstructions that upon execution by a processor, cause performance of aset of acts including (i) receiving, by a computing system, mediacontent; (ii) generating, by the computing system, a fingerprint of aportion of the received media content; (iii) determining, by thecomputing system, that the received media content has a predefinedcharacteristic; (iv) responsive to determining that the received mediacontent has the predefined characteristic, transmitting, by thecomputing system, the generated fingerprint to a content identificationserver to identify the portion of the received media content; and (v)performing an action based on the identified portion of media content.

In another aspect, an example computing system is disclosed. Thecomputing system is configured for performing a set of acts including(i) receiving, by the computing system, media content; (ii) generating,by the computing system, a fingerprint of a portion of the receivedmedia content; (iii) determining, by the computing system, that thereceived media content has a predefined characteristic; (iv) responsiveto determining that the received media content has the predefinedcharacteristic, transmitting, by the computing system, the generatedfingerprint to a content identification server to identify the portionof the received media content; and (v) performing an action based on theidentified portion of media content.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of an example computing device.

FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of an example media contentdelivery and presentation system.

FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram of an example media contentidentification system.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart of an example method.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION I. Overview

Within a media content delivery and presentation system, a receiver(e.g., a cable receiver or a satellite receiver) can provide mediacontent to a media presentation device (e.g., a television), which canreceive and present the media content for an end-user.

In some instances, it can be desirable to identify the media contentthat the media presentation device is receiving and/or presenting. Amongother things, this can allow an entity such as the media presentationdevice to perform an action based on the identified media content. Forexample, based on the identified media content, the media presentationdevice can cause supplemental content (e.g., a contextually appropriateadvertisement) to be presented in conjunction with the media contentbeing presented by the media presentation device (e.g., by overlayingthe supplemental content on the presented media content).

In one example, a fingerprint-based technique can be used to identifythe media content. As such, the media presentation device can receivemedia content, and can generate a fingerprint of the received mediacontent. The media presentation device can then transmit the fingerprintto a content identification server for analysis, which can use thefingerprint to identify the media content. Based on the identified mediacontent, the content identification server can take, or cause to betaken, one or more actions, such as causing the media presentationdevice to perform the action described above.

As noted above, the media presentation device can generate and/ortransmit a fingerprint to the content identification server periodicallyor from time so that the media content can be identified. In practice,many media presentation devices can generate and/or transmitfingerprints in this manner, which collectively can strain operation ofthe content identification server. Thus, in some cases, it may bedesirable to reduce the number of fingerprints that a given mediapresentation device generates and/or transmits to the contentidentification server for analysis. However, this can potentially reducethe ability of the content identification server to accurately identifythe media content being presented on the media presentation device at agiven time.

In one aspect, the media presentation device can help address the issuesdiscussed above by determining a characteristic of the media content andusing the determination as a trigger event that causes the mediapresentation device to transmit a fingerprint to the contentidentification server.

To begin with, the media presentation device can receive media content,such as from the receiver. The media content can include multipleportions, such as a first portion and a second portion. In one example,each of the first and second portions can be a logically self-containedunit of media content that is separate and distinct from the other. Forinstance, in one example, the first portion can be a program segment(e.g. a segment of a television show) and the second portion can be acommercial.

The receiver can provide, and the media presentation device can receive,the first and second portions as a temporal sequence. Thus, the receivercan provide the first portion before providing the second portion.Likewise, the media presentation device can receive the first portionbefore receiving the second portion.

After the media presentation device receives the first portion, themedia presentation device can generate a first fingerprint and cantransmit the generated first fingerprint to the content identificationserver to identify the first portion. Then, the content identificationserver, the media presentation device, and/or another entity can performan action, based on the identified first portion.

Similar to with the first portion, the media presentation device cangenerate a second fingerprint of the second portion. The mediapresentation device can then determine that the received media content(which includes the first and second portions) has a particularcharacteristic. And responsive to determining that the received mediacontent has the predefined characteristic, the media presentation devicecan transmit the generated fingerprint to the content identificationserver to identify the second portion. Then, the content identificationserver, the media presentation device, and/or another entity can performan action, based on the identified second portion.

The predefined characteristic can vary to suit a desired configuration.For instance, in one example, the predefined characteristic can be thatthe first portion and the second portion lack a threshold extend ofsimilarity with each other. This can evidence the fact that each portionis a logically self-contained unit of media content that is separate anddistinct from the other. In various examples, this can be representativeof the fact that (i) the first portion is a program segment and thesecond portion is a commercial, (ii) the first portion is a firstcommercial and the second portion is a second commercial that isdifferent from the first commercial, (iii) the first portion is acommercial and the second portion is a program segment, or (iv) thefirst portion is a first program segment and the second portion is asecond program segment that is different from the first program segment.

As noted above, the receiver can provide, and the media presentationdevice can receive, media content that includes a first portion and asecond portion. In some cases, for various reasons, the media contentcan include non-substantive media content that separates the first andsecond portions. For example, in the case where the media content isvideo content that includes a program segment and a commercial, thevideo content can also include some substantially black content (e.g.,one or two seconds of video content that is substantially black) thatseparates the program segment and the commercial. Such non-substantivecontent can typically separate two otherwise adjacent logicallyself-contained units of media content in this way.

In recognition of this, in one example, the predefined characteristiccan be that the first portion includes a threshold extent ofnon-substantive media content. As such, in the case where the mediacontent includes the first portion, the second portion, and a thirdportion that includes non-substantive content, and where the receiverreceives the first portion, the third portion, and the second portion,in that order, the media presentation device can determine that thereceived media content has the predefined characteristic by determiningthat the third portion includes a threshold extent of non-substantivemedia content.

To allow the media presentation device to determine that the receivedmedia content has the predefined characteristic, a training system(which can be the media presentation device or another entity) canemploy a machine leaning technique to train a classifier to detectwhether the media content (or a portion thereof) has the predefinedcharacteristic. Once the classifier is trained, in one example, themedia presentation device can determine that the received media contenthas the predefined characteristic by using the trained classifier.

In practice, the media presentation device can continually determinethat (different portions of) received media content has a predefinedcharacteristic, and can responsively generate a fingerprint and/ortransmit the generated fingerprint to the content identification serveras described above.

This can help reduce the number of instances where the mediapresentation device transmits a fingerprint to the contentidentification server for analysis, which can help reduce the chance ofthe content identification server facing strained operation. This canalso generally reduce the use of network and other types of computingresources.

II. Example Architecture

A. Computing Device

FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of an example computing device 100.The computing device can be configured to perform and/or can perform oneor more acts and/or functions, such as those described in thisdisclosure. The computing device 100 can include various components,such as a processor 102, a data storage unit 104, a communicationinterface 106, and/or a user interface 108. Each of these components canbe connected to each other via a connection mechanism 110.

In this disclosure, the term “connection mechanism” means a mechanismthat facilitates communication between two or more components, devices,systems, or other entities. A connection mechanism can be a relativelysimple mechanism, such as a cable or system bus, or a relatively complexmechanism, such as a packet-based communication network (e.g., theInternet). In some instances, a connection mechanism can include anon-tangible medium (e.g., in the case where the connection iswireless).

The processor 102 can include a general-purpose processor (e.g., amicroprocessor) and/or a special-purpose processor (e.g., a digitalsignal processor (DSP)). The processor 102 can execute programinstructions contained in the data storage unit 104 as discussed below.

The data storage unit 104 can include one or more volatile,non-volatile, removable, and/or non-removable storage components, suchas magnetic, optical, and/or flash storage, and/or can be integrated inwhole or in part with the processor 102. Further, the data storage unit104 can take the form of a non-transitory computer-readable storagemedium, having stored thereon program instructions (e.g., compiled ornon-compiled program logic and/or machine code) that, upon execution bythe processor 102, cause the computing device 100 to perform one or moreacts and/or functions, such as those described in this disclosure. Theseprogram instructions can define and/or be part of a discrete softwareapplication. In some instances, the computing device 100 can executeprogram instructions in response to receiving an input, such as from thecommunication interface 106 and/or the user interface 108. The datastorage unit 104 can also store other types of data, such as those typesdescribed in this disclosure.

The communication interface 106 can allow the computing device 100 toconnect with and/or communicate with another entity according to one ormore protocols. In one example, the communication interface 106 can be awired interface, such as an Ethernet interface or a High-DefinitionMultimedia Interface (HDMI). In another example, the communicationinterface 106 can be a wireless interface, such as a cellular, or WI-FI.In this disclosure, a connection can be a direct connection or anindirect connection, the latter being a connection that passes throughand/or traverses one or more entities, such as a router, switcher, orother network device. Likewise, in this disclosure, a transmission canbe a direct transmission or an indirect transmission.

The user interface 108 can include hardware and/or software componentsthat facilitate interaction between the computing device 100 and a userof the computing device 100, if applicable. As such, the user interface108 can include input components such as a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse,a touch-sensitive panel, a microphone, and/or a camera, and/or outputcomponents such as a display device (which, for example, can be combinedwith a touch-sensitive panel), a sound speaker, and/or a haptic feedbacksystem.

The computing device 100 can take various forms, such as a television, aset-top box, a workstation terminal, a desktop computer, a laptop, atablet, and/or a mobile phone.

B. Media Content Delivery and Presentation System

FIG. 2 is a simplified block diagram of an example media contentdelivery and presentation system 200. The system 200 can perform variousacts and/or functions related to the delivery and/or presentation ofmedia content (e.g., audio content and/or video content), and can beimplemented as a computing system. In this disclosure, the term“computing system” means a system that includes at least one computingdevice. In some instances, a computing system can include one or moreother computing systems.

The system 200 can include various components, such as a media contentsource 202, a media content distributor 204, a receiver 206, and/or amedia presentation device 208, each of which can be implemented as acomputing system. The system 200 can also include a connection mechanism210, which connects the media content source 202 with the media contentdistributor 204; a connection mechanism 212, which connects the mediacontent distributor 204 with the receiver 206; and a connectionmechanism 214, which connects the receiver 206 with the mediapresentation device 208. In practice, the system 200 is likely toinclude many of some or all of the example components described above.

The media content source 202 and the media content distributor 204 caneach take various forms. For example, the media content source 202 canbe a broadcaster and/or a web server, and the media content distributor204 can be a multi-channel distributor (e.g., a cable provider,satellite provider, over-the-air broadcast provider, or a webaggregator). The receiver 206 and the media presentation device 208 caneach take various forms as well. For example, the receiver can be acable receiver, a satellite receiver, an over-the-air broadcastreceiver, and/or a streaming media box, and the media presentationdevice 208 can be a television or another display device, or aloudspeaker or another audio device.

C. Media Content Identification System

FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram of an example media contentidentification system 300. The system 300 can perform various actsand/or functions related to media content identification (sometimesreferred to as automated content recognition (ACR)), and can beimplemented as a computing system.

The system 300 can include various components, such as the mediapresentation device 208 and a content identification server 302, whichcan be implemented as a computing system. The system 300 can alsoinclude a connection mechanism 304, which connects the mediapresentation device 208 with the content identification server 302.

III. Example Operations

Referring again to FIG. 2, within the system 200, the media contentsource 202 can provide media content to the media content distributor204, which can provide the media content to the receiver, which canprovide the media content to the media presentation device 208, whichcan present the media content to an end-user.

In practice, the system 200 can include many of some or all of thecomponents described above, which can allow media content to bepresented to many end-users. Thus, in one example, the media contentsources 202 can be national broadcasters, such as ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX,HBO, and CNN, and the media content distributors 204 can be localaffiliates and/or other local content distributors in particulardesignated market areas (DMAs). Further, the receivers 206 and the mediapresentation devices 208 can be located at customer premises, such ashomes or business establishments. With these or other arrangements, themedia content sources 202 can deliver media content to the media contentdistributors 204 for distribution to the receivers 206, and the mediacontent distributors 204 can distribute the media content to thereceivers 16 on discrete channels (e.g., particular frequencies). Eachreceiver 206 can then respond to user input or one or more other triggerevents by tuning to a selected channel and transmitting to a mediapresentation device 208 the media content that is arriving on theselected channel. The media presentation device 208 can then receive andpresent the media content (e.g., by displaying or otherwise presentingthe content).

In some instances, it can be desirable to identify the media contentthat the media presentation device 208 is receiving and/or presenting.Among other things, this can allow an entity such as the mediapresentation device 208 to perform an action based on the identifiedmedia content. For example, based on the identified media content, themedia presentation device 208 can cause supplemental content (e.g., acontextually appropriate advertisement) to be presented in conjunctionwith the media content being presented by the media presentation device208 (e.g., by overlaying the supplemental content on the presented mediacontent).

In one example, a fingerprint-based technique can be used to identifythe media content. An example of this will now be described. Referringagain to FIG. 3, the media presentation device 208 can receive mediacontent, and can generate a fingerprint of the received media content.In one example, the media presentation device 208 can generate thefingerprint while the media presentation device is receiving the mediacontent (e.g., from the receiver 206) and/or while the mediapresentation device is processing the media content for presentation.The media presentation device 208 can apply any media fingerprintingprocess now known or later developed to generate a fingerprint of themedia content.

In practice, the media presentation device 208 can generate suchfingerprints as a fingerprint stream on an ongoing basis, such as on aper frame basis (e.g., on a per key-frame basis) or other basis. Themedia presentation device 208 can also transmit the fingerprint to thecontent identification server 302 for analysis. By way of example, themedia presentation device 208 can periodically or from time to timegenerate and/or transmit to the content identification server 302 afingerprint representing a latest frame, series of frames or otherportion of the media content being received and/or presented by themedia presentation device 208. In particular, the media presentationdevice 208 can generate a message carrying the latest generatedfingerprint and can transmit the message to the content recognitionserver's IP address. Such a message could implicitly or explicitlyindicate the current time, thus establishing a time at which the mediacontent at issue is being received and/or presented by the mediapresentation device 208. The content identification server 302 canthereby receive the fingerprint and time information for analysis.

Further, the content identification server 302 can compare thefingerprint of the media content being received and/or presented by themedia presentation device 208 with reference fingerprints accessible bythe content identification server 302 using any fingerprint comparisonprocess now known or later developed.

Each of the reference fingerprints can correspond with respective datathat identifies media content from which the reference fingerprint wasgenerated, and that is accessible by the content identification server302. In one example, the content identification server 302 can usemapping data to map a given reference fingerprint to respective datathat identifies the corresponding media content. The data can identifythe media content in various ways, such as by specifying a title, uniqueidentifier, or other data associated with the media content. Thus, bydetermining that there is a match between a fingerprint representingmedia content received and/or presented by the media presentation device208, and a reference fingerprint, the content identification server 302can use the data corresponding to the reference fingerprint to identifythe media content.

Based on the identified media content, the content identification server302 can take, or cause to be taken, one or more actions. For example,the content identification server 302 can take action based on theidentified media content, or the content identification server 302 cansignal to another entity, perhaps to the media presentation device 208,to cause the other entity to take action based on the identified mediacontent.

For example, the content identification server 302 can record the factthat the media presentation device 208 is presenting the identifiedmedia content as part of a content rating or analytics system to measurethe extent to which media content is being received and/or presented bymedia presentation devices. For instance, the media presentation device208 can regularly (e.g., periodically) report to the contentidentification server 302 a fingerprint of the media content that themedia presentation device 208 is receiving and/or presenting, and thecontent identification server 302 can carry out processes such as thosediscussed herein to determine media content being identified. Each timethe content identification server 302 thus identifies media contentbeing received and/or presented by the media presentation device 208,the content identification server 302 can add to a count or otherstatistic of the media content being received and/or presented. Further,these counts or other statistics can be per media presentation device(as device-specific viewing analytics), indicating the extent to whichthe media presentation device receives and/or presents the mediacontent.

As another example, the content identification server 302 canresponsively cause the media presentation device 208 to presentsupplemental content, such as an overlay advertisement as discussedabove, among other possibilities, possibly as a replacement for one ormore portions of the media content. For instance, given anidentification of the media content at issue, the content identificationserver 302 can generate or select (e.g., from a server's data storageunit) particular supplemental media content associated specifically withthe identified media content (and perhaps further based on profile data(e.g., device-specific viewing analytics) associated with the particularmedia presentation device 208) and can transmit the supplemental mediacontent to the media presentation device 208 for the media presentationdevice 208 to present in conjunction with the media content that themedia presentation device 208 is receiving from the receiver 206. Themedia presentation device 208 can thus receive the supplemental mediacontent from the content identification server 302 and present it inconjunction with the media content that the media presentation device208 is receiving from the receiver 206.

As noted above, the media presentation device 208 can generate and/ortransmit a fingerprint to the content identification server 302periodically or from time so that the media content can be identified.In practice, many media presentation devices 208 can generate and/ortransmit fingerprints in this manner, which collectively can strainoperation of the content identification server 302. Thus, in some cases,it may be desirable to reduce the number of fingerprints that a givenmedia presentation device 208 generates and/or transmits to the contentidentification server 302 for analysis. However, this can potentiallyreduce the ability of the content identification server 302 toaccurately identify media content being presented on the mediapresentation device 208 at a given time.

To illustrate how this can be a problem, consider the followingscenario. The receiver 206 provides media content to the mediapresentation device 208, and the media presentation device 208 receivesthe same. The media content includes at least two portions, including afirst portion and a second portion, which the receiver 206 provides, andthe media presentation device 208 receives, as a temporal sequence. Thefirst portion is a program segment (e.g. a segment of a television show)and the second portion is a commercial that follows the program segment.

As noted above, the receiver 206 provides, and the media presentationdevice 208 receives, the first and second portions of media content as atemporal sequence. Thus, the receiver 206 provides the first portionbefore providing the second portion. Likewise, the media presentationdevice 208 receives the first portion before receiving the secondportion. In particular, at time T₁, the receiver 206 starts to providethe first portion to the media presentation device 208, and the mediapresentation device 208 receives the same. Then, five seconds later, attime T₂, the receiver starts to provide the second portion to the mediapresentation device 208, and media presentation device 208 receives thesame. In the case where the media presentation device 208 is configuredto generate and transmit fingerprints to the content identificationserver 302 at a period interval of once every thirty seconds, and themedia presentation device 208 generates and transmits a fingerprint attime T₁, the content identification server 302 can identify the firstportion as soon as the media presentation device 208 begins receivingand/or presenting the first portion. However, because the mediapresentation device 208 does not generate and transmit the nextfingerprint until twenty seconds later, the content identificationserver 302 cannot identify the second portion until at least twenty-fiveseconds after time T₂, that is, until at least twenty-five seconds afterthe media presentation device 208 starts receiving and/or presenting thesecond portion. This delay can reduce or potentially eliminate anybenefit or value attained by performing an action based on theidentified second portion of media content.

In one aspect, the media presentation device 208 can help address theissues discussed above by determining a characteristic of the mediacontent and using the determination as a trigger event that causes themedia presentation device 208 to transmit the fingerprint of the secondportion to the content identification server 302. A method incorporatingthis feature will now be described.

To begin with, the media presentation device 208 can receive mediacontent, such as from the receiver 206. The media content can includemultiple portions, such as a first portion and a second portion. In oneexample, each of the first and second portions can be a logicallyself-contained unit of media content that is separate and distinct fromthe other. For instance, in one example, the first portion can be aprogram segment (e.g. a segment of a television show) and the secondportion can be a commercial. In another example, the first portion canbe a first commercial and the second portion can be a second commercialthat is different from the first commercial. In still another example,the first portion can be a commercial and the second portion can be aprogram segment. In still another example, the first portion can be afirst program segment and the second portion can be a second programsegment that is different from the first program segment.

Within the media content, the transition from the first portion to thesecond portion can occur for various reasons. For example, thetransition can result from a simple change in content being provided bya content source (e.g., the change from a program segment to acommercial, from a commercial to another commercial, from a commercialto a program segment, or from a program segment to another programsegment). As another example, the transition can result from thereceiver 206 performing a channel-change operation. For example, thereceiver 206 can change from a first channel to a second channel inresponse to receiving a channel-change instruction from a remotecontroller being operated by an end-user (e.g., as a result of theend-user entering a channel number, pressing the up/down channel button,or pressing a guide button, pressing some navigation buttons, and thenpressing an enter button). This can thus cause one of the transitionsreferenced above.

As noted above, the receiver 206 can provide, and the media presentationdevice 208 can receive, the first and second portions as a temporalsequence. Thus, the receiver 206 can provide the first portion beforeproviding the second portion. Likewise, the media presentation device208 can receive the first portion before receiving the second portion.

After the media presentation device 208 receives the first portion, themedia presentation device 208 can generate a first fingerprint and cantransmit the generated first fingerprint to the content identificationserver 302 to identify the first portion. Then, the contentidentification server 302, the media presentation device 208, and/oranother entity can perform an action, such as any of the actionsdescribed above, based on the identified first portion.

Similar to with the first portion, the media presentation device 208 cangenerate a second fingerprint of the second portion. The mediapresentation device 208 can then determine that the received mediacontent (which includes the first and second portions) has a particularcharacteristic. And responsive to determining that the received mediacontent has the predefined characteristic, the media presentation device208 can transmit the generated fingerprint to the content identificationserver 302 to identify the second portion. Then, the contentidentification server 302, the media presentation device 208, and/oranother entity can perform an action, such as any of the actionsdescribed above, based on the identified second portion.

The predefined characteristic can vary to suit a desired configuration.For instance, in one example, the predefined characteristic can be thatthe first portion and the second portion lack a threshold extend ofsimilarity with each other. In other words, the predefinedcharacteristic can be that the first and second portions aresufficiently different from each other. This can evidence the fact thateach portion is a logically self-contained unit of media content that isseparate and distinct from the other. In various examples, this can berepresentative of the fact that (i) the first portion is a programsegment and the second portion is a commercial, (ii) the first portionis a first commercial and the second portion is a second commercial thatis different from the first commercial, (iii) the first portion is acommercial and the second portion is a program segment, or (iv) thefirst portion is a first program segment and the second portion is asecond program segment that is different from the first program segment.

As such, in one example, the media presentation device 208 can determinethat the received media content has the predefined characteristic bydetermining that the first portion and the second portion lack athreshold extent of similarity with each other. The media presentationdevice 208 can determine this in various ways. For example, the mediapresentation device 208 can determine this by determining that thegenerated first fingerprint (of the first portion) and the generatedsecond fingerprint (of the second portion) lack a threshold extent ofsimilarity with each other. The media presentation device 208 can makethis determination based on a comparison of the two fingerprints usingany applicable technique now known or later developed.

In one example, this can involve the media presentation device 208comparing corresponding portions of the fingerprints with each other todetermine whether the portions are sufficiently different, perhaps inview of predefined tolerances. For example, for video content, the mediapresentation device 208 can conduct this analysis on a whole framebasis, comparing the first fingerprint of a first frame against a secondfingerprint of a second frame, such as by computing a maximum deviationbetween the fingerprints and determining if the maximum deviation isbeyond a predefined tolerance. Further, if the fingerprints are binary,this could be a Boolean determination, and if the fingerprints are morecomplex values, such as decimal values or vectors (e.g., grey values pervideo frame region), this can involve determining a distance between thevalues or vectors. Numerous other examples are possible as well.

As noted above, the receiver 206 can provide, and the media presentationdevice 208 can receive, media content that includes a first portion anda second portion. In some cases, for various reasons, the media contentcan include non-substantive media content that separates the first andsecond portions. For example, in the case where the media content isvideo content that includes a program segment and a commercial, thevideo content can also include some substantially black content (e.g.,one or two seconds of video content that is substantially black) thatseparates the program segment and the commercial. Such non-substantivecontent can typically separate two otherwise adjacent logicallyself-contained units of media content in this way.

In recognition of this, in one example, the predefined characteristiccan be that the first portion includes a threshold extent ofnon-substantive media content. As such, in the case where the mediacontent includes the first portion, the second portion, and a thirdportion that includes non-substantive content, and where the receiver206 receives the first portion, the third portion, and the secondportion, in that order, the media presentation device 208 can determinethat the received media content has the predefined characteristic bydetermining that the third portion includes a threshold extent ofnon-substantive media content. The media presentation device 208 candetermine this in various ways. For example, the media presentationdevice 208 can generate a fingerprint of the third portion and cananalyze various properties of the fingerprint (e.g., using anyapplicable technique now known or later developed) to determine whetherthe third portion includes a threshold extent of non-substantive mediacontent.

To allow the media presentation device 208 to determine that thereceived media content has the predefined characteristic, a trainingsystem (which can be the media presentation device 208 or anotherentity) can employ a machine leaning technique to train a classifier todetect whether the media content (or a portion thereof) has thepredefined characteristic. In one example, a training system can train aclassifier by providing as input to the classifier, media content thatincludes a first portion and a second portion (and/or fingerprints ofthe same), and an indication of whether the first and second portionsshould be considered to lack a threshold extent of similarity. With thisinformation, the classifier can configure itself to recognize instanceswhere media content includes first and second portions that lack athreshold extent of similarity.

In another example, a training system can train a classifier byproviding as input to the classifier, media content that includes afirst portion (and/or a fingerprint of the same), and an indication ofwhether the first portion should be considered to include a thresholdextent of non-substantive content. With this information, the classifiercan configure itself to recognize instances where media content includesa first portion that includes a threshold extent of non-substantivecontent.

The training system can apply any machine learning classificationtechnique (e.g., a technique based on neural network, support vectormachines, and/or adaptive filters) now known or later developed to traina classifier to recognize these characteristics.

Once the classifier is trained, in one example, the media presentationdevice 208 can determine that the received media content has thepredefined characteristic by using the trained classifier to determinethat that the received media content has the predefined characteristic.The media presentation device 208 can do this by providing as input tothe classifier the received media content and/or related data (e.g., afingerprint of the received media content). The classifier can thusprovide as output, an indication of whether the received media contenthas the predefined characteristic.

As noted above, responsive to the media presentation device 208determining that the received media content has the predefinedcharacteristic, the media presentation device 208 can transmit thegenerated second fingerprint to the content identification server 302 toidentify the second portion of media content. Then, the contentidentification server 302, the media presentation device 208, and/oranother entity can perform an action, such as any of the actionsdescribed above, based on the identified second portion of mediacontent.

In some examples, the media presentation device 208 can generatefingerprints periodically or from time to time and can selectivelytransmit them to the content identification server 302 responsive to themedia presentation device 208 determining that the received mediacontent has a predefined characteristic. However, in other examples, themedia presentation device 208 can selectively generate the fingerprintsand also selectively transmit them to the content identification server302, both responsive to the media presentation device 208 determiningthat the received media content has a predefined characteristic.

In some instances, the media presentation device 208 can generate thesecond fingerprint of the second portion of the received media contentproximate a time that the media presentation device 208 determines thatthe received media content has the predefined characteristic, or perhapsat a time following a predefined time period (e.g., the mediapresentation device 208 can generate the fingerprint one second afterthe determination is made). Similarly, the media presentation device 208can transmit the generated fingerprint proximate a time that the mediapresentation device 208 determines that the received media content hasthe predefined characteristic, or perhaps at a time following apredefined time period.

In practice, the media presentation device 208 can continually determinethat (different portions of) received media content has the predefinedcharacteristic, and can responsively generate a fingerprint and/ortransmit the generated fingerprint to the content identification server302 as described above. This can help reduce the number of instanceswhere the media presentation device 208 transmits a fingerprint to thecontent identification server 302 for analysis, which can help reducethe chance of the content identification server 302 facing strainedoperation. This can also generally reduce the use of network and othertypes of computing resources. Further, by generating and/or transmittingfingerprints proximate a time when the content-characteristic-baseddetermination is made, the media presentation device 208 can reducedelay in identifying media content as discussed above.

In some cases, in addition to the media presentation device 208 usingthe determination that the received media content has a predefinedcharacteristic as a trigger event that causes the media presentationdevice 208 to transmit the generated fingerprint to the contentidentification server 302, the media presentation device 208 can alsogenerate a fingerprint and/or transmit the generated fingerprint to thecontent identification server 302 on a periodic basis or from time totime (but perhaps less frequency than it otherwise would), serving as ahybrid approach.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an example method 400. At block 402,the method 400 can include receiving, by a computing system, mediacontent. At block 404, the method 400 can include generating, by thecomputing system, a fingerprint of a portion of the received mediacontent. At block 406, the method 400 can include determining, by thecomputing system, that the received media content has a predefinedcharacteristic. At block 408, the method 400 can include responsive todetermining that the received media content has the predefinedcharacteristic, transmitting, by the computing system, the generatedfingerprint to a content identification server to identify the portionof the received media content. At block 410, the method 400 can includeperforming an action based on the identified portion of media content.

IV. Example Variations

Although some of the acts and/or functions described in this disclosurehave been described as being performed by a particular entity, the actsand/or functions can be performed by any entity, such as those entitiesdescribed in this disclosure. Further, although the acts and/orfunctions have been recited in a particular order, the acts and/orfunctions need not be performed in the order recited. However, in someinstances, it can be desired to perform the acts and/or functions in theorder recited. Further, each of the acts and/or functions can beperformed responsive to one or more of the other acts and/or functions.Also, not all of the acts and/or functions need to be performed toachieve one or more of the benefits provided by this disclosure, andtherefore not all of the acts and/or functions are required.

Although certain variations have been discussed in connection with oneor more example of this disclosure, these variations can also be appliedto all of the other examples of this disclosure as well.

Although select examples of this disclosure have been described,alterations and permutations of these examples will be apparent to thoseof ordinary skill in the art. Other changes, substitutions, and/oralterations are also possible without departing from the invention inits broader aspects as set forth in the following claims.

1. A method comprising: receiving, by a computing system, media content;generating, by the computing system, a fingerprint of a portion of thereceived media content; determining, by the computing system, that thereceived media content has a predefined characteristic; responsive todetermining that the received media content has the predefinedcharacteristic, transmitting, by the computing system, the generatedfingerprint to a content identification server to identify the portionof the received media content; and performing an action based on theidentified portion of media content.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinthe computing system is a media presentation device, wherein the mediapresentation device is connected to a receiver, wherein receiving themedia content comprises receiving the media content from the receiver.3. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion is a second portion,wherein the media content comprises a first portion and the secondportion, wherein the computing system receives the first portion beforereceiving the second portion, and wherein determining that the receivedmedia content has the predefined characteristic comprises determiningthat the first portion and the second portion lack a threshold extent ofsimilarity with each other.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein (i) thefirst portion is a program segment and the second portion is acommercial, (ii) the first portion is a first commercial and the secondportion is a second commercial that is different from the firstcommercial, (iii) the first portion is a commercial and the secondportion is a program segment, or (iv) the first portion is a firstprogram segment and the second portion is a second program segment thatis different from the first program segment.
 5. The method of claim 3,wherein the fingerprint is a second fingerprint, the method furthercomprising: generating, by the computing system, a first fingerprint ofthe first portion, wherein determining that the first portion and thesecond portion lack a threshold extent of similarity with each othercomprises determining that the generated first fingerprint and thegenerated second fingerprint lack a threshold extent of similarity witheach other.
 6. The method of claim 3, wherein determining that the firstportion and the second portion lack a threshold extent of similaritywith each other comprises using a trained classifier to determine thatthe first portion and the second portion lack a threshold extent ofsimilarity with each other.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein theportion is a second portion, wherein the media content comprises a firstportion and the second portion, wherein the computing system receivesthe first portion before receiving the second portion, and whereindetermining that the received media content has the predefinedcharacteristic comprises determining that the first portion includes athreshold extent of non-substantive media content.
 8. The method ofclaim 6, wherein the media content is video content and whereindetermining that the first portion includes a threshold extent ofnon-substantive media content comprises determining that the firstportion includes a threshold extent of substantially black videocontent.
 9. The method of claim 6, wherein determining that the firstportion includes a threshold extent of non-substantive media contentcomprises using a trained classifier to determine that the first portionincludes a threshold extent of non-substantive media content.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, wherein generating the fingerprint of the portion ofthe received media content occurs responsive to determining that thereceived media content has the predefined characteristic.
 11. The methodof claim 1, wherein generating the fingerprint of the portion of thereceived media content and transmitting the generated fingerprint to thecontent identification server to identify the portion of the receivedmedia content both occur proximate a time of the determining that thereceived media content has the predefined characteristic.
 12. The methodof claim 1, wherein the computing system is a media presentation device,the method further comprising: presenting, by the media presentationdevice, via a user interface of the media presentation device, theportion of media content, and wherein taking action based on theidentified portion of media content comprises causing supplementalcontent to be presented in conjunction with the portion of media contentbeing presented by the media presentation device.
 13. The method ofclaim 1, wherein taking action based on the identified portion of mediacontent comprises recording presentation of the identified portion ofmedia content for use in a media content ratings system.
 14. The methodof claim 1, wherein the media content is video content.
 15. Anon-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon programinstructions that upon execution by a processor, cause performance of aset of acts comprising: receiving, by a computing system, media content;generating, by the computing system, a fingerprint of a portion of thereceived media content; determining, by the computing system, that thereceived media content has a predefined characteristic; responsive todetermining that the received media content has the predefinedcharacteristic, transmitting, by the computing system, the generatedfingerprint to a content identification server to identify the portionof the received media content; and performing an action based on theidentified portion of media content.
 16. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the computing system is amedia presentation device, wherein the media presentation device isconnected to a receiver, wherein receiving the media content comprisesreceiving the media content from the receiver.
 17. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the portion is a secondportion, wherein the media content comprises a first portion and thesecond portion, wherein the computing system receives the first portionbefore receiving the second portion, and wherein determining that thereceived media content has the predefined characteristic comprisesdetermining that the first portion and the second portion lack athreshold extent of similarity with each other.
 18. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the portion is a secondportion, wherein the media content comprises a first portion and thesecond portion, wherein the computing system receives the first portionbefore receiving the second portion, and wherein determining that thereceived media content has the predefined characteristic comprisesdetermining that the first portion includes a threshold extent ofnon-substantive media content.
 19. The non-transitory computer-readablemedium of claim 15, wherein the computing system is a media presentationdevice, the set of acts further comprising: presenting, by the mediapresentation device, via a user interface of the media presentationdevice, the portion of media content, and wherein taking action based onthe identified portion of media content comprises causing supplementalcontent to be presented in conjunction with the portion of media contentbeing presented by the media presentation device.
 20. A computing systemconfigured for performing a set of acts comprising: receiving, by thecomputing system, media content; generating, by the computing system, afingerprint of a portion of the received media content; determining, bythe computing system, that the received media content has a predefinedcharacteristic; responsive to determining that the received mediacontent has the predefined characteristic, transmitting, by thecomputing system, the generated fingerprint to a content identificationserver to identify the portion of the received media content; andperforming an action based on the identified portion of media content.